Close Gate

Close Gate, located at No 47 on the east side of High Street, is a mid-18th century building that stands three stories tall. It is constructed of brick and features a plain string course at the first floor, a moulded string course at the second floor, chamfered brick quoins, and wide flat eaves supported by pairs of cut brackets. The roof is hipped and covered with old tiles. The upper floor has six windows, two of which are false on the second floor. The central entrance has a six-panel door set in a plain frame, adorned with a Doric doorcase, a heavy scroll-bracketed frieze, and a moulded pediment. Above the door, there is an early 19th-century wrought iron lamp on a bracket. The ground floor has four windows, though their spacing has been altered, and there is a modern half-octagon bay on the right side that disrupts the symmetry of the design. To the left, there is a small service door and a two-storey stable extension with a tile-hung upper part and one window.

Inside, the hall features a fine screen of three bays with Ionic pilasters applied to four-centred arcading, complete with keystones. The closed string staircase has twisted balusters and panelled newels. The drawing room is fully panelled above the skirting and has a dado cornice cove enriched with anthemion and palmette motifs. It also boasts a good fireplace mirror framed with fruit carvings and a broken pediment above, featuring an urn and carved garlands. The ceiling is decorated with elaborate rococo stucco work, including garlands, swags, shells, and a shaped centre panel, along with a pedimented doorcase.

Close Gate is part of a group with Nos 37 to 51 (odd) and Nos 50 to 58 (even) & No 64.